If someone were to ask you how to clean toilets, your answer would likely be: use bleach. But that response only covers the inside of the bowl, and since bacteria spreads, are we actually cleaning our toilets properly?
In this article, we’re going top to bottom to understand how to clean toilets properly and how a subpar selection of cleaners can impact the effectiveness of your efforts.
What Do I Need to Clean a Toilet?
A standard bottle of bleach won’t cut it. Use a commercial toilet cleaner to kill more bacteria and diminish stains faster. Our Virucidal disinfectant is a multipurpose bleach-free, alcohol-free spray that kills 99.9% of germs and viruses and even targets yeasts! Much more effective than shop-brand bleach.
You’ll also need a toilet brush that doesn’t look like a 5-year-old toothbrush. The bristles should be firm and straight to really get into the lip of your toilet bowl. If you’re not using a brand-new brush, disinfect it before wiping it around the bowl to prevent introducing more bacteria.
An all-purpose cleaner or disinfectant wipes will do the trick outside the bowl.
Finally, use paper towels to dry the exterior of the toilet.
How to Clean Toilets – Step by Step
Now you’ve collected your supplies, it’s time to knuckle down. But where do you start?
Step 1- Start From the Top
By starting from the bottom, you risk a bacteria-ridden cleaning solution trailing down to every part of the toilet you already cleaned. Don’t get stuck in an endless cycle. Start from the top of the cistern and work your way down!
You can use disinfectant wipes or all-purpose cleaners all over the external surfaces of your toilet (including the seat). Make sure to focus on every nook and cranny so you don’t miss anything.
If you’re finding it difficult to really get into the crevices while using a wipe, we recommend covering a toothpick or a cotton bud with the wipe and pushing the ends into the tighter gaps.
Once you’ve wiped everything down, use a paper towel to dry the exterior of the toilet completely. This will prevent condensation and bacteria from breeding, as they thrive in wet and moist environments.
Step 2- Don’t Forget the Flusher!
The first place our hands go after wiping is straight to the flush push button or handle. These are some of the most bacteria-populated parts of a toilet, and it’s easy to forget about them when cleaning. Make sure to thoroughly wipe this down with anti-bacterial cleaners.
Step 3- Drain the Bowl
If your toilet bowl is full of water while you’re cleaning it, the disinfectant solution will dilute and become less effective.
To drain your toilet bowl, fill it with more water. You can use anything to transport the water from your sink to the toilet, and all you need is about half a gallon to trigger the flushing mechanism. By doing this, you’ll trick the toilet into thinking the toilet is flushing, but the tank won’t realise it needs to release more water. Then, you have an empty bowl.
Step 4- Add the Disinfectant
Now that the bowl is empty, you can apply the disinfectant to all areas of the toilet and maintain saturation. Apply the cleaner as close to the inside lip as possible to ensure the entire surface is coated. Then, leave the solution for 10 minutes to allow enough time to break down the dirt and grime present in the bowl.
Step 5- Get Scrubbing
Now that the disinfectant has settled in, loosened the dirt and killed the bacteria, it’s time to scrub. This lifts the dirt from the surface of the bowl and evenly spreads the cleaning solution around the bowl.
You won’t have to scrub for too long, as, by this point, the hard work is over. All that’s left to do now is flush!
Step 6- Flush
When flushing, it’s important to keep the toilet seat down to prevent a Toilet Plume. Simply put, a Toilet Plume can send invisible bacteria shooting straight out of the bowl that rests outside the toilet after flushing. This can undo all of your hard work, so keep it closed!
Step 7- Clean the Seat Once More
Lastly, clean the toilet seat again to remove any bacteria that may have shot up while flushing.
How to Clean Toilet Stains
Cleaning stains in your toilet is a bit trickier than simply cleaning its surface. To stop stains from developing, it’s important to clean your toilet regularly and target areas prone to staining, including the region just above the waterline, surrounding the lip, and the source of water from the tank.
To treat stains in your toilet bowl, a simple DIY solution of vinegar will do the trick. Simply let the vinegar soak into the surface of the bowl, scrub with your toilet brush, and rinse away by flushing.
Over time, this will minimise discolouration and leave your toilet looking fresh and sparkling.
Why Does Vinegar Reduce Stains?
Vinegar is 5% acetic acid, so it can add a chemical charge to and break down the molecules of dirt, oils, films, stains and bacteria. It is a highly effective DIY cleaning agent, but shouldn’t be used on natural materials including stone, waxed wood, iron or aluminium.
Why do Toilets Stain?
Your toilet bowl can stain for several reasons, including build-up of hard water mineral deposits, bacteria and rust stemming from the internal components of the cistern.
The most notorious minerals that lead to staining in your toilet are manganese, iron and sulfur. But staining isn’t just a result of these minerals. Mould also contributes to the discolouration of your toilet bowl and can be identified just above the waterline.
As a general rule:
- Mould staining is indicated by above-waterline discolouration.
- Mineral staining is indicated by below waterline discolouration.
Can I buy Cleaning Products for My Toilet from Galleon Supplies?
Absolutely! At Galleon Supplies, we have a range of commercial cleaning products suitable for every surface in your home or business. Whether you’re making a one-time purchase or buying in bulk, we’re sure to have what you need.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our experts are happy to point you in the right direction.
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